This disclosure relates to modular printing systems. Specifically, this disclosure relates to the diagnosing of printing system faults which may be attributed to a failed printing system component.
Integrated printing systems include the integration of many devices to provide a complete printing system. The integrated devices may include image marking engines (IMEs), media sheet feeder devices, media sheet transport devices, fusing devices, interface devices and output devices such as sheet stackers and media finishing devices. In addition to including the integration of multiple devices that provide distinct functions for the printing system, an integrated printed system may include two or more similar or identical devices, for example two sheet feeder devices, two IMEs and two media sheet stacker devices. The addition of multiple devices with similar or identical functions can provide increased productivity for the printing system.
One of the big contributions to the run-cost associated with an integrated printing system is the costs associated with parts replacement. Sometimes the cost of parts replacement is unnecessarily amplified due to the replacement of parts to determine if a particular problem is corrected. For example, the user of an integrated printing system may replace parts associated with the printing system until the problem is corrected, where one failed part is corrected by the replacement of one or more normally operating parts in addition to the failed part. This disclosure provides a method and system to diagnose modular printing system faults.